shoot for repairability. the ones that drown all the components in styrofoam so you cant replace any pieces are not worth having. thermospa brand have the components all repairable. also the closer it is to your house the more you will use it. if you contact the manufacturer and ask what cancelled orders they have sitting around you can get a major discount like 30%+

I used to remove them from customers homes. It was a very similar story each time. They loved it for a little while then it sat for 5 plus years used as a big outdoor table to hold other stuff on top the cover. It also is a bit pricey and a hassle to get rid of them. Most of the time I would have to cut it into 4 pieces to move the thing. I think they are a bit of a waste for most people. Mosquitos love them though.

The answer is: it depends. Before purchasing a hot tub take a water sample from the faucet you’ll use to fill it. Take it to a pool/spa store and ask them what type of chemicals and maintenance you’ll need to do. If your pH is aligned then you’ll be in good shape. If it’s not you will be fighting it forever.

My parents owned one when I was young. I remember it working only a few times and almost never getting used. They spent thousands to repair it to only use it a few times before it broke again.

One of the highlights of their life was getting rid of it and reusing the space.

Unless you’re drowning in money or have a physical ailment that NEEDS a hot tub to improve your life- Dont.

If you’re going to get one, highly recommend getting 240V instead of 110v/plug and play type. 240V are the only ones that can really keep up with the heat and give you that real jet feel in the tub.

If possible, keep it somewhere covered. We have it in our covered patio, which allows us to get use of it in any kind of weather and prevents mosquitos/other bugs coming around.

Chemical balancing can be pretty tough, we mostly keep a steady supply of bleach around to make sure it’s staying clean. One issue we had was the test strips never seemed to say the water was hard enough so we kept adding calcium hardner, but it ended up precipitating and making a rough coating on the seats (eventually we were able to clean it off). Ended up deciding it wasn’t a big deal if some values are out of range on the test strips as long as the stuff to keep people safe is balanced (ie chlorine)

I actually look after them for idiots that install them for rentals.

No1 - Use bromine because it smells less than chlorine

No2 use multi bromine as it has anti algae and anti foam in it

No3 keep the pH correct, about 7.2 to 7.4, same as pool

No4 clean the filter every week

No5 kids love hot tubs, hot tubs HATE kids

No6 FUCKIN SHOWER BEFORE YOU USE IT YOU DAFT CUNT NO WONDER IT TURNED INTO FUCKING SOUP FUCK ME

No matter how “sexy” it may look in porn and movies. Sex in a hot tub sucks. The water kills all lubrication.

Don’t cheap out. Buy a good one or you’ll end up spending more constantly repairing the cheap one.

You need the chlorine, you need to always put the cover on, and you need the net to get the bugs out.

It feels much less luxury when you come out in the morning to a green tub full of flies and spiders.

Hot tub chemical stores always tell you to use bromine instead of chlorine. They claim chlorine will destroy your tub. I have been using chlorine for 20+ years on 3 different tubs. Never had a problem. I suspect they recommend bromine only because it’s more expensive.

I got a Caldera spa in their mid range line. It is 240V, 5 person, with a salt system and a cover lifter. It cost about $12k USD all told. I love it, but DEFINITELY get the salt system for chlorinating. It would be much more of a pain in the ass without it. As it is, I still love the thing and use it regularly. I check the water chemistry about every five days and it’s super simple to maintain. If I have a party and we are in for extended periods I have to add chlorine daily for a few days but that’s it.

Nothing but regrets. What I imagined and what I got are two very different things. I was thinking party time and sexy date night with the wifey. Instead, it’s a big ass chemistry set that also attracts pests.

I never saw a rat outside until they set up shop inside where the pump and all the plumbing is. I have no idea how they got in there. I smelled something dead and it took a while to figure out it was in there. Unscrewed the panels on the side and found a whole nest in there and a decomposing rat. Another time, a bunch of nasty frogs got into the water even though it was covered.

Aside from that, it was a nuisance to maintain. There’s always something a little off with the water. I spent more time maintaining and cleaning that damn thing than I ever spent relaxing in it. Then the cover eventually wore out from being in the sun. That was like $500 to replace.

That hot tub was nothing but an expensive mistake.

My brother has a hot tub and loves it. Had it for a few years now. The important thing is staying on top of maintenance. Putting chemicals in, draining it, etc.

If you have any specific questions, let me know and I can see what he has to say.

Apparently my idea of hot tub is quite different of what people are speaking of here. I’m quessing OP meant jacuzzi.